The Boy Who Captured the Stars
by theprincelyclotpole
Summary: Merlin was five years old when he caught his first star


Merlin was five years old when he caught his first star.

He'd always been interested in the heavens, becoming an almost nocturnal toddler in order to watch the stars twinkling brightly in the sky. As Merlin grew older, the habit never really went away. It was only fitting that he would catch one, someday.

He was wandering through the fields in front of his home, a great expanse of farmland stretching for miles in every direction. The sky was perfectly clear that night, and Merlin had begged his mum to let him go out for hours. He had been given only a few minutes of time, but Merlin had already exceeded the limit, spending nearly half an hour running through the huge fields.

There was a lake in the middle of the clearing, and as Merlin neared it, he saw a silver entity rising out of—no, plummeting into—the water, gleaming brightly. Even without knowing what it was, Merlin couldn't let it fall.

He reached out his hands, and the sphere fell into them, almost knocking him over with the force. It was a bit painful, having something that large, that ipowerful/i, crash into his hands, but Merlin held it anyway. He had never felt anything so wonderful.

Warmth spread throughout his body, seeping into his skin, into his blood, into his bones. There wasn't an inch of Merlin's body that wasn't filled by the warmth of the star, for that was what it was.

And in return for catching it, the star granted Merlin one wish. And without making one, Merlin let it go. The stars, Merlin thought, were Angels.

Some would say that his magic manifested that night, but Merlin disagreed. If you asked him, he would tell you that he had had the magic all along, that the star had simply woken it up. Maybe the truth will never be known, but it is certain that something changed that moonlit night, when Merlin caught a star.

But this was only his first star. So, you ask, when was the second?

That question is a good one, and one that has a story behind it, just as Merlin's first star does.

When Merlin caught his second star, he was twenty two, and headed to Camelot to start a new life outside of Ealdor. He was traveling days and nights, not stopping to rest. Making it to Camelot was for him a matter of life and death, and if he remained he would be killed.

The night air was crisp and cool, even though the months were hot. Merlin relished the feeling of the wind on his back as he traversed the moors outside the city, surrounded by the homes of poor craftsmen and even poorer serfs.

A breeze was kicking up, whipping Merlin's clothes around him and causing the branches of trees to dance eerily in the moonlight, waving dark leaves around in an elegant waltz.

That was when Merlin saw it, a shimmering orb falling towards the earth. After his unforgettable encounter as a child, Merlin recognised it immediately for what it was. A star.

Merlin picked up his speed, running now as he neared the star, because he couldn't let it hit the earth and get destroyed.

He reached the place where the star was falling just in time, as it dropped from a high arc to his hands. This time, Merlin was prepared for the shock as its warmth mapped out his body through his veins and arteries and capillaries, weaving magic and power into his very soul.

Just as it had last time, the star promised Merlin a wish. Just as he had last time, Merlin freed it without demanding anything, releasing it into the night. And this time, Merlin was certain that the stars were Angels.

Now, you say, those are the two times Merlin caught stars. The story must be over. And though you would be almost right, this is not the end of the tale.

For you see, the stars never forget a good deed that has been done to them, and they never leave a debt unpaid.

That is why, when Merlin lost everything, his world, his king, his hope, his ilove/i, the stars came back, and they healed his wounds. That is why, when Merlin lost everything, the stars repaid him and brought King Arthur back.

And that is why, when Merlin got everything back, he knew always to give thanks to the stars, and to always catch a star when you see it falling.

Because the stars aren't Angels. They are so much imore/i.


End file.
